Mobile platforms including aircraft, trains, ships, etc. often provide rest areas for crew or passengers when the vehicle is intended for operation over lengthy time periods. For simplicity, applications for aircraft crew rest berths are generally described herein. Crew rest berths are enclosures generally provided for an individual to rest or sleep in private, often having curtains or doors, electrical supply outlets, entertainment outlets, etc. Commercial aircraft in particular are required to provide crew rest spaces for aircraft which operate over extended periods of time. Common crew rest areas include bunks or berths, seats, and lavatories for crew use. Aircraft crew rests are often separately provided for flight crew members and for flight attendants.
The berth units are frequently built up using fiberglass/honeycomb panels that are joined to form a module. Separate top, bottom and side walls are prefabricated. The walls are connected using multiple brackets, fasteners and fittings. An upper and/or lower support plate is commonly used to support one or more berths to structure of the mobile platform. This construction/installation technique is labor intensive and produces berth units having multiple joints and undesirably high weight. In addition, sub-assembly of the units to the support plate(s) normally must take place on-site on the aircraft during construction, which provides additional delay in construction.
It is often a complex process to install crew rest berths on mobile platforms such as aircraft due to the size and weight of the berths, which can be about 300 pounds. This weight necessitates use of on-site special lifting/handling equipment. The structure to support a berth of this weight must also be reinforced or require multiple attachment points to carry not just the dead weight of the berth and support plates, but also the dynamic load of the berth due to berth/platform motion and aircraft motion. Access for installation of crew rest berths is also limited by items such as piping, structure, environmental control system ducting, flight control cabling, fire detection systems, stow-bin support structure and center stow-bins, and electrical cabling positioned adjacent to or passing through the crew rest areas. Installation of all these items needs to be coordinated during construction of the aircraft.
Crew rest berths have been positioned in the overhead volume (above the main cabin ceiling) of aircraft, which offers the potential for increased passenger or cargo capacity to the airline operator. Overhead positioned rest units do not displace main deck seats or cargo container volume in the lower lobe, and so increase the volume within the fuselage that is available for revenue service. Existing overhead positioned rest units, however, are excessively heavy as noted above and therefore reduce the payload potential of the aircraft.
A further disadvantage of existing crew rest berths is that assembly sequencing of these items is predetermined and therefore installation of crew rest berthing affects the overall construction schedule of the platform or aircraft. The additional structure and special equipment required to construct and install existing berths adds weight, complexity, and cost and therefore increases installation time, negatively affecting the construction schedule. Access space for the installing mechanics and any special equipment is also required. A crew rest berth design providing lower weight as well as faster and simpler installation is therefore desirable.